Kamal Hossain slams 15pc VAT, excise duty on bank deposits

Gano Forum president Kamal Hossain on Friday said the proposed national budget has drawn flak from different quarters as it was not formulated in consultation with stakeholders.He made the comments at a press conference organised by his party at the Jatiya Press Club to give reaction to the national budget.‘Had the budget been planned after consultations with stakeholders, it would have been easier to implement it,’ said the noted jurist.Many platforms have already raised questions about the uniform VAT rate of 15 per cent, he said, adding that the proposed additional excise duty on bank deposits has also drawn widespread criticism from different sectors. Criticising the government for allocating a lower amount for the judiciary, Kamal described it as a ‘hostile attitude’ to the judiciary. ‘Though the judiciary is one of the inevitable organs of the state, the allocation in the proposed budget for it has been decreased compared to last fiscal year,’ he said.The veteran lawyer also lamented the decrease in allocation for the education sector.He said more importance should be given to achieving sustainable development alongside boosting economic growth.Kamal urged people to forge a unity to root out corruption, violence and bad politics from the country through establishing the rule of law.